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Achievement: Sara Frigui scored a composite 36 on the September ACT, the highest score possible on the college entrance exam. She scored 36 on the individual tests in English, math, and reading, and 35 on science.

The facts: On average, fewer than one-tenth of 1 percent of students score a 36 on a given testing date, according to ACT. In 2015, 39 Kentucky students, including 13 Louisville-area students, made that score. As of the October testing, in 2016, 56 Kentucky students, including 27 Louisville-area students, have scored 36.

Sara’s history with the test: Sarah has taken the test two times before, scoring 35 both times. She said since she had come so close before, she was hoping for a 36, but her real goal in taking it a third time was to improve her writing score. “There’s not a lot of difference between a 35 and a 36, or even a 34,” she said, adding that it often “comes down to being focused, and luck.”

On learning: Sara says she’s always been a motivated learner; “I like to be challenged. I never had to force myself to study or to do well. I wanted to do those things. It’s satisfying when hard work pays off. I’m wired to strive to be my best.” She said scoring a 36 wasn’t her objective, but when she scored 35 it motivated her to “work even harder and get better.”

On the test: “Strategies that work are different for different people,” she said. “Some people take notes and make maps, but I can read and comprehend and still read fast. I read and remember. Sometimes I underline to stay focused, but there’s a predictability about the questions,” she said, explaining that it helps to get accustomed to the passages in social sciences and natural sciences so you are familiar with the kinds of questions asked on the test. “The science section is not about science, it’s about interpreting graphs. There aren’t that many kinds of graphs, so if you know how to interpret them, whether about rocks or electromagnetics,” the questions are the same types. She also advises getting used to the time limits “so you can focus on the test, not be looking up a the clock the whole time, and having time to check your answers.”

Sara said that standardized tests are “overhyped,” and that the scores are really only a minimal part of the college selection process. “They look at research you’ve done, extracurricular activities, leadership roles. The tests reaffirm that you are a hard worker, but there are other ways to show colleges you want to go there and you deserve to go there. People say, “oh, you got a 36, you can get into any college you want,” but a 36 isn’t anywhere near a deciding factor.”

Acknowledgements: Sara said her parents brought her up to set her standards high, and when she scored the 35 her father asked when she was going to get a 36. She said her teachers during her junior year, particularly Jill Bickel (English) and Megan Thomas (science), helped her prepare. Every month Ms. Bickel gave them ACT practice questions in reading and in writing, and Ms. Thomas helped them practice analyzing science passages from practice tests. “A lot of kids struggle with the science part, because of the time limit. The first time, science brought my score down,” she said, adding that Ms. Thomas’ instruction helped her improve her score by four points. “I got the 36 largely because of her.”

The day of the test: She believes in preparing for the test the week before but “freeing up the night before the test so you can get a good night’s rest and not carry the stress from the night before into the test.”

At the time of the test: Sara was also working on her college applications. “I was working toward college, and my whole life, so I was able to focus and concentrate.”

On being “that kid who made the 36”: “A lot of people see a person who got a 36 and think ‘that’s the smartest person I know.’ But there are a lot of people, smarter than me, who didn’t get a 36,” she said, adding “it’s not a defining aspect of who I am.”

Besides the 36: Sara has conducted research and completed internships at U of L in oncology, psychology, statistics, biochemistry, and biostatistics. She plays the violin in orchestras and small groups.

Sara’s hobbies: Running, eating at Canes, and learning

Sara’s home life: Sara lives near the Paddock Shops and divides her time living with her mother, Olfa Nasraoui, and her father, Hichem Frigui.

Teacher Quote: Sara is an incredibly hard worker who doesn’t stop at “good enough” said teacher Megan Thomas. “She is a natural leader; students look to her for guidance, and she is able to help others complete complex tasks. It’s pretty amazing how great she is in the classroom considering the myriad extracurricular activities she is also involved in,” she said, adding that Sara embodies the word “achiever.”

Plans: Sara is in the process of applying to college, and she plans to major in biomedical computation.